Twelve moms with their babies arrived on the first day of classes with Barbara, who was then in her 80s.

We were asked to take off our shoes and sit with our child looking at books until Barbara came around with a basket singing, “Books away, books away, put your books away today.” Her program began with a welcome song and numerous musical activities. All of the other babies sat contentedly on their mother’s laps, watching Barbara while allowing their mothers to move their arms and legs for the various activities. But my son, Alon, couldn’t keep still! He kept running all around the room and did not even seem to glance at Barbara.

I was embarrassed and did not know what to do. Should I run after Alon? Should I let him continue running? Should I take him into another room? Should I leave? Barbara immediately picked up on my discomfort and had a few words with me.

“It’s perfectly fine for Alon to run around,” she said. “Children this age don’t sit perfectly still. Just keep coming back and after a few sessions you will see how much he has learned.” With this type of reassurance, I sat in the circle with the other parents and continued doing the fingerplays although I was only occasionally joined by Alon.

The next two weeks were a repeat of the same thing. But the fourth week held a surprise; when Barbara started reciting a leaning rhyme, “Mother and Father and Uncle John,” Alon sat down on my lap and began leaning to one side even before the leaning part of the rhyme. When Barbara handed out bells and rang her bell “up high, down low, and in the middle” Alon rang his bell up high, down low, and in the middle right along with her. It was clear to me that he had absorbed everything going on around him; He knew what type of response was expected for each activity and was able to respond to both visual and verbal cues. From that class on, his attention span amazed me! He was able to sit on my lap for longer and longer periods, while watching and responding to Barbara. He loved going to class and so did I."